Mated to my sister’s ugly mate

Shadow’s words echoed through the night with a bite to them, sharp and unforgiving.

However, deep within her heart, those words held a different meaning. Lisa, despite her appearance of wealth and luxury in the Eden family, was easier to support compared to the other affluent ladies. She spent most of her time tending to Jason and the others, making sure they had food and clothing. While 50 million may not be a small amount, Jason was certainly capable of affording it. The question was whether he would be willing to part with such a sum.

Jessica, seething with anger, struggled to suppress her fury as she snapped, “If we had the money, of course we would offer the 50 million. But the reality is that we don’t have it!”

Shadow, however, was beyond arguing with Jessica. She turned her attention to Jason and called him forth. “Dad!”

Jason scowled, contemplating the situation. “If this is true, no matter what, I’ll gather the 50 million. But we only have two hours. Where can we possibly obtain that amount in such a short time?”

Shadow’s surprise flickered across her face. She hadn’t expected Jason to be willing to raise the money.

“Take out whatever you can borrow,” Shadow advised, glancing down at her phone’s contact list.

It then dawned on her that, aside from Hazel, she didn’t have many friends.

Meanwhile, Jason had already begun dialing numbers on his phone, desperately making calls.

Shadow moved aside, dialing Hazel’s number.

Hazel picked up almost immediately. “What’s the matter? Have you eaten?”

Shadow pursed her lips. “Hazel, I need to borrow money from you.”

“Sure, how much do you need?” Hazel’s generosity toward Shadow was well-known. Whenever Shadow asked for help, Hazel was always there to lend a hand.

“It might be somewhere between three to four million. I’m not entirely certain,” Hazel replied, checking her savings on her phone.

As the truth slowly unveiled itself, Hazel grew apprehensive. “Why do you need such a large sum? What’s happened?”

“My mother has been kidnapped, and they’re demanding a ransom of 50 million.”

“Why don’t you call the police?”

“We need to get her back first,” Shadow answered softly, her worry for Lisa consuming her thoughts.

Deep down, Hazel felt an inclination to let her heartless mother meet her fate. However, she knew Shadow all too well. If Shadow hadn’t learned about this, it would have been fine. But now, knowing the truth, Shadow would pursue this matter to the bitter end.

“Alright, I’ll transfer the money to you,” Hazel finally agreed.

“Thank you.”

Unbeknownst to Shadow, both Jessica and Jason had been closely observing her every move.

As they heard Shadow mention getting Lisa back, a triumphant smile crept across Jessica’s face.

She walked over to Jason and murmured, “I knew Shadow wouldn’t abandon Lisa.”

Jason nodded, their understanding unspoken.

With the two-hour deadline fast approaching, they had only managed to gather a mere six million, still far from their target of fifty million.

Shadow rushed back and forth, her desperation growing.

Then, Jessica suddenly interjected, “Shadow, I remember you have a black card from the Lance family.”

Shadow turned her head, astonished.

Jessica pressed on, “This is a matter of life and death. Whether Mom survives depends on you. We’ve done our best.”

Shadow, too preoccupied to remember, realized that she still had the black card.

“I’ll go and get it right away!” Shadow exclaimed, her mind consumed by the urgency of saving Lisa.

Jason chimed in, “We’ll drive you back to retrieve it, and then we’ll head to the designated location.”

The two-hour deadline loomed, and in order to buy more time, Shadow reluctantly agreed to Jason’s plan.

The group swiftly returned to Alpha Kilian’s villa.

Alpha Kilian and Alpha Dominic had not yet returned. Shadow retrieved the black card and dialed the police as she walked.

In her panic, she had forgotten to report the kidnapping when she first received the call from the kidnappers.

Jessica noted Shadow’s phone call with unease. “Who are you calling? Did the kidnappers call you again?”

“I’m calling the police to open a case. We can’t let the kidnappers take the 50 million without consequences,” Shadow explained, resolute in her decision to save Lisa while not giving in to the demands so easily.

Jessica, upon hearing the word “police,” hesitated for a moment before taking action. She grabbed Shadow’s phone, abruptly ending the call. Filled with determination, she argued, “Let’s not involve the police just yet. Our priority should be rescuing Mom. She must have seen the kidnapper. If we call the police later, it’ll be easier to track them down.”

“No, I have to call the police first.”

Witnessing Shadow’s unwavering resolve, Jessica made her choice. She firmly held the phone and began to speak, “Why are you in such a rush to call the police? Are you trying to get Mom killed? What if the kidnappers find out? What if she dies because of it? I get it, she treats me better than she does you, but you don’t have to stoop this low! She’s our mother, regardless of everything!”

Jessica’s words held an air of righteousness, and she almost started to believe herself.

“Shut up!” Shadow retorted, her voice sharp. Although Jessica’s words were true, they still stung. How could she not care? Lisa was her own mother, after all.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

The kidnapper called again.

With the speakerphone on, all three of them, Jason, Jessica, and Shadow, heard the chilling words from the kidnapper, “You must come alone to the designated location. If we find anyone else with you, whether it’s a police officer or anyone else, we will kill her!”

A strange feeling welled up within Shadow.

She couldn’t help but feel that the kidnapper’s target was her and her alone. Jason’s absence from the threats seemed intentional. The kidnappers had likely assumed her position as Young Madame Lance made her incredibly wealthy and worth ransoming. Although it made sense, something about the kidnapper’s actions felt off.

Jessica was the first to voice her concerns. “Why do you have to go alone?”

“It’s not safe. Take Jessica’s car, and we’ll follow you,” Jason suggested, his eagerness and determination unlike anything they had seen before.

Shadow was taken aback by their sudden display of loyalty, but she didn’t question it. After all, Lisa had been a part of their lives for more than two decades.

Following Jason’s lead, she smiled wryly. “Yes, I know how to drive.”

Throughout her four years of university, she had managed to support herself with odd jobs, occasionally taking on scriptwriting tasks. The money she saved from those endeavors, aside from tuition and living expenses, went toward obtaining her driver’s license.

The address the kidnapper provided led them to an abandoned garage in the desolate outskirts.

Shadow quickly sent the location to Hazel, accompanied by a message urging her to call the police. The road to the garage was likely under surveillance, and Shadow couldn’t afford to risk being watched by the kidnapper’s people.

Once the message was sent successfully, Shadow deleted it, leaving no trace behind.